My mutterings on life, thoughts and actions.

Influenza

I blogged a while ago about the changes to the way that the Flu vaccine was being given out and thankfully since then, its obvious that someone has read it and taken note as the advertising campaign went ahead. (Or it could just be coincidence!)

But an article in the Citizen this morning really hammers the problem home. There has been 50 deaths in the country this winter, and there is now a shortage of Flu vaccinations within Gloucestershire.

It seems that take up of the vaccination was down in the Autumn (due to lack of advertising maybe) and so there was a small surplus which could be taken advantage of. But that only went so far. The Government has also released some stock of swine flu vaccine too.

What the good news is out of this story, is the way that the medical professionals are all talking and working together to make the best of a bad situation. However I also wonder how much of this is down to overburdened GP surgeries? Knowing that the Surgeries in Quedgeley are always maxed out and places like Kingsway are not getting the GP provision it was promised, therefore putting yet more pressure on GP surgeries, it is no wonder that some people think that its not worth the stress of trying to get an appointment.

I just hope that the lessons are learned from this season. It has been a bit of a disaster on a number of fronts.

On a final note, if you are offered the vaccine, please do think hard about getting it. And also do look after yourselves and keep an eye out for neighbours, especially the elderly.

There is criticism being levelled at the government at the moment for not vaccinating the under 5’s for Flu, and potentially putting them at risk. The argument is that this “cancellation” was done to save cash (approx £85m) and that included not only the jabs but the advertising campaign to go with the vaccination.

I have an issue with criticising the Government for not doing the widespread vaccination. They have taken the advice of the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which is an independent body and would hopefully be giving politically independent advice. Granted it plays well into the cost saving required, but everyone has to make the most of the breaks they are given. The JVCI had initially said it would be prudent to repeat the Jabs to all kids, but then in July it changed this advice. What is unclear is the basis for the change of advice. But they are the independent expert here. As long as they haven’t been leaned on.

I’m not so sure about axing the advertising campaign though. The Governments answer is that everyone eligible will be or has been contacted. However I think this does need to be backed up with a campaign to ensure that those who are eligible realise the importance of the vaccination. There are many reasons why parents would not take their children, IE fears due the MMR debacle, or just not really being aware of the true dangers of flu, as it is seen as such a common illness. If you just get an envelope saying your eligible, it doesn’t really do much int he way of educating or encouraging.

So, on one hand, I think the targeting of immunisation in this respect is a sensible approach to take given the advice they received. However the Department of Health have said they are going to review this policy due to the rising cases of Flu this winter. With this sort of announcment, it really muddies the waters of whom to believe.

In any case, I do wish they had kept the advertising campaign to enable parents to make an informed decision, rather than what may be a rash decision one way or the other.

In relation to all thing vaccination, I would reccoment you go and see the Edward Jenner Museum in Berkley, Gloucestershire. The House and grounds are really good and shows how vaccines were developed and the full extent of the impact of Vaccination on the world.